Ryan started composing professionally just out of college when Stewart Lemoine asked him to collaborate on a mini-opera for his new play, Eros and the Itchy Ant. He received his first Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award (Edmonton) nomination for its Outstanding Score. His sound design for A Dybbuk for Two People, and score for Water’s Daughter were nominated in subsequent years. Ryan co-wrote two produced musicals for Teatro La Quindicina: The Infinite Shiver and Everybody Goes to Mitzi’s for which he shared the Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award (Edmonton) for best score with lyricist Farren Timoteo. He is a member of the BMI Lehman Engels workshop.

Some of Ryan’s favourite arrangements include string quartet music for The String Beans of which he was a member for many years.